The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 22, 1995
Filed:
Aug. 31, 1993
Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
Conventional fiber-optic gyroscopes were provided with an independent photodetector for detecting interfering beams. The existence of the independent photodetector required two beam dividing-and-combining devices for equalizing the experiences of the clockwise-spreading beams and the counterclockwise-spreading beams. Curtailment of an expensive beam dividing-and-combining device is desirable for reducing the cost of gyroscopes. This invention dispenses with the independent photodetector. Instead of the independent photodetector, the light source itself or the monitoring photodiode detects the interfering beams by the change of driving current, applied voltage or photocurrent. Elimination of the independent photodetector saves one beam dividing-and-combining device by equalizing the path of the progressing beams to the path of the regressing beams. Optimum light sources, interposition of polarizer, position of depolarizer and use of birefringent material as polarizer are explained.